Tarmo Peltokoski, Music Director Designate of the HK Phil, leads a captivating Nordic-inspired programme that showcases Finland in both its traditional and cosmopolitan forms. The evening opens with Castor, a dazzling orchestral work by Esa-Pekka Salonen, HK Phil’s Composer-in-Residence for the 2025/26 season and a compatriot and mentor of Peltokoski. The piece is inspired by the twin brothers of Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux. Superstar pianist Lang Lang then brings radiant virtuosity to Grieg’s lyrical Piano Concerto, before the concert concludes with Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen Suite, evoking the mythic heart of Finnish folklore in all its power and poetry. PROGRAM Salonen: Castor; Grieg: Piano Concerto; Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Suite
Hans Werner Henze – composer, communist, dandy
Hans Werner Henze was Germany’s most political composer, at the same time, he was the epitome of a dandy and bon vivant. On the occasion of his 100th birthday in July 2026, the film is a tribute to the courageous artist and humanist, showing his colourful life in all its complexity and with all its contradictions.
Nelsons conducts Shostakovich No 7
At the centre of the Shostakovich Festival 2025 in Leipzig was a performance of Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony, in which Andris Nelsons led the combined forces of the Gewandhausorchester and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the Gewandhaus. Since 2018, both orchestras, at the helm of both of which Andris Nelsons stands, have continuously developed an ever-closer transatlantic partnership. Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony, known as the “Leningrad Symphony”, was composed during World War II and stands as a masterpiece of both artistic and historical significance. PROGRAM Shostakovich: Symphony No 7
Eschenbach conducts Schönberg & Brahms
To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, conductor Christoph Eschenbach conducts Arnold Schoenberg’s “A Survivor from Warsaw” and Johannes Brahms’ “A German Requiem”, with the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic and Choir as well as soloists Michael Nagy and Aleksandra Zamojska. Both works carry a profound emotional depth and humanistic message. Schoenberg’s “A Survivor from Warsaw” is one of the most significant compositions by this leading avant-garde artist of the early 20th century. And of his “German Requiem”, Brahms once said that he “would gladly omit the word ‘German’ and simply use ‘Human,’” emphasizing his desire for it to be seen as a “human requiem”. PROGRAM Schönberg: A Survivor from Warsaw; Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem
Peltokoski conducts Wagner: The Ring – An orchestral adventure
Tarmo Peltokoski is at the helm of the Hong Kong Philharmonic for this concert featuring Henk de Vlieger’s “Orchestral Adventure” drawing together highlights of Wagner’s monumental Ring: a superb distillation of some of the most exciting, moving and thrilling music ever written, presented in concentrated orchestral form.
RCO: Mäkelä conducts Mahler 8
Performances of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony are not so common, especially on the anniversary of Mahler’s death. Led by their Chief Conductor Designate Klaus Mäkelä, Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ was the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s final contribution to the Concertgebouw’s Mahler Festival 2025. With four choirs—the Dutch National Radio Choir, the Laurens Symfonisch, Le Chœur de l’Orchestre de Paris, and the Dutch National Children’s Choir— this huge choral ensemble demonstrated immense energy and power. Seven international soloists, sopranos Golda Schultz and Miriam Kutrowatz, altos Jennifer Johnston and Okka von der Damerau, tenor Giorgio Berrugi, bariton Michael Nagy, and bass Tareq Nazmi, were all formidable. “A monumental Eighth from Klaus Mäkelä and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra” (Bachtrack)
Hélène Grimaud – Between the Notes
This is a documentary about one of the greatest pianists of all time, Hélène Grimaud. David Serero takes us on a captivating journey through Grimaud’s personal and professional life, revealing the key moments that shaped her exceptional career from birth to the present day, including her passion for nature and wolves. She also shares all her pianistic secrets.
Hayato Sumino – Live from Suntory Hall, Tokyo
He is probably the most exciting representative of the current pianist scene: Hayato Sumino inspires with his phenomenal virtuosity and infectious joy of playing, his concert tours are sold out worldwide. In his unique style, Sumino combines classical technique with great talent for arrangement and improvisation, bringing a fresh and innovative approach to piano music. The 30-year-old Japanese musician is not only causing a stir with classical works. Under the name “Cateen”, he is also a YouTube star with 1.5 million subscribers with his own compositions and arrangements, and is inspiring a steadily growing online fan base for his art. Of his numerous competition successes and awards, the most recent is the Leonard Bernstein Award 2025 from the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. This program is a recording of Hayato Sumino’s concert at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. With music ranging from J.S. Bach to Hans Zimmer and from Chopin to his own compositions, the exceptional artist once again demonstrates his impressive versatility and virtuosity.
Luka Sulic – Live at Union Chapel
Don’t miss an unforgettable night of music as world-renowned cellist Luka Šulic brings his spellbinding performance to the iconic London’s Union Chapel. Set under the soft glow of candlelight, Šulic blends classical brilliance with modern emotion in a breathtaking concert experience. The cello virtuoso, known for his broad repertoire mixing crossover and classical repertoire, gifts the public a powerful renditions from his LIFE album and more.